Main line rail industry news – Page 620
-
NewsQueensland NGR EMU cars shipped from Mumbai
AUSTRALIA: The first six of 450 electric multiple-unit cars which Bombardier Transportation is building at its Savli plant in India under Queensland’s A$4·4bn New Generation Rollingstock contract were shipped from the Port of Mumbai at the end of January. Following testing the first units are expected to enter service in ...
-
NewsTough times bite
RUSSIA: Russian Railways will have to adopt a more customer-focused strategy and improve the quality of services if it is to increase revenue in 2016, new President Oleg Belozerov warned in mid-December. Discussing the provisional year-end results at the final board meeting of 2015, Belozerov said RZD needed to ‘increase ...
-
NewsEVRAZ wheels certified as TSI-compliant
EUROPE: Russian steelmaker EVRAZ NTMK has begun production of two more types of wagon wheel for the European market, after Czech railway research institute VUZ certified the production process as being compliant with TSI requirements. EVRAZ said the solid-rolled 920 mm BA 314 and ВА 005 wagon wheels are among ...
-
NewsMarket opening presents opportunities and risks
The EU's Fourth Railway Package raises the prospect of significant market opening in the domestic passenger market across Europe. As Mike George of insurance provider Willis Group explains, this heralds a major opportunity for new entrants with entrepreneurial zeal - but only if they understand fully a panoply of operational ...
-
NewsFeature articles in the February 2016 issue of Railway Gazette International
Feature articles in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International, the leading business journal for railway operators and suppliers, read in 140 countries. Subscribe to Railway Gazette International today. Comment The time to innovate is now News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations Pointers ...
-
NewsTier 4 industrial shunting locomotive
NORTH AMERICA: Tractive Power Corp’s US manufacturing contractor Curry Rail Services has completed a demonstrator Tier 4 compliant version of the TP56 industrial shunting locomotive, which is designed to use off-the-shelf industrial and railway components. The three-axle TP56 locomotive uses half of the frame of an SD40-2 with one ...
-
NewsAlstom signs Iranian mainline and urban transport agreement
IRAN: A memorandum of understanding for co-operation in the mainline and urban transport sectors was signed by Alstom and Iran’s Industrial Development & Renovation Organization in Paris on January 27. Alstom said the aim was to initiate discussions for industrial co-operation with IDRO, including the possible formation of a ...
-
NewsRail Week launched to address ‘skills crisis’
UK: As part of efforts to address concerns about recruitment and retention of talent in the rail sector, a pan-industry partnership led by networking organisation Young Rail Professionals has agreed to launch the first ‘Rail Week’ initiative in the UK, running from June 27 to July 3 2016.Loosely modelled on ...
-
NewsSiemens sells 300th Vectron locomotive
EUROPE: Siemens announced a contract to supply Lokomotion GmbH with eight Vectron multi-system electric locomotives on January 29, saying the München-based private freight operator was the 20th customer for the Vectron family and the order included the 300th to be sold. The 6·4 MW locomotives with a maximum speed ...
-
NewsLuxembourg Protocol will reshape rolling stock funding
INTERNATIONAL: Greater private sector investment in rolling stock is expected following the adoption of a new protocol on the ownership of railway assets, which will come into force after sufficient countries sign up over the coming months. Adopted in February 2007, the Luxembourg Protocol to the 2001 Cape Town ...
-
NewsAlstom completes share buy-back
ALSTOM: The public share buy-back offer which aimed to return to shareholders part of the proceeds of the energy business transaction with General Electric has been successfully completed, Alstom announced on January 28. Following the reduction mechanism, 91·5 million shares representing around 29·5% of Alstom's capital have been repurchased ...
-
NewsHuai’an tram line opens
CHINA: Services on the first tram line in Huai’an commenced on December 28, following the start of passenger-carrying tests on December 19. The 20·3 km northwest-southeast route runs from Huai’an Gymnasium to South Gate with 23 stops. Construction started in February 2014 and cost 3·65bn yuan. Services are ...
-
NewsUnieco to sell CLF stake to Strukton Rail
ITALY: Unieco has called on a put option for co-owner Strukton Rail to buy out its 40% stake in railway construction contractor Construzioni Linee Ferroviarie by the end of June 2016. Strukton Rail has been a shareholder of CLF since 1998, and increased its stake from 40% to 60% ...
-
NewsRailway supply industry news in brief
GoEuro has signed a partnership with SNCF adding more than 3 000 stations to its rail, coach and air journey planner. On January 30 more than 200 developers will travel from Firenze SMN to Arezzo on a Coradia Meridian trainset, as part of the HackToscana hackathon which aims to promote ...
-
NewsGreece restarts Trainose privatisation
GREECE: The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund privatisation agency has relaunched the planned sale of national train operator Trainose, a process which began in 2013 but was suspended following a change of government last year. Announcing the restart of the process on January 27, HRADF said it planned to ...
-
NewsNorfolk Southern announces cost-cutting plan
USA: Norfolk Southern Corp announced details of a strategic plan to become a 'faster, lower cost and more profitable railroad' on January 27, saying it expects to achieve annual productivity savings of $130m in 2016 and more than $650m by 2020. The plan is the result of a six-month evaluation ...
-
NewsTracklaying begins on Samsun tram extension
TURKEY: Tracklaying on the southeastern extension of the Samsun tram line started on January 27. The 14 km section from Gar to Tekkeköy is due to open on October 10. The extension will nearly double the current 15 km route between Üniversite and Gar. The fleet of 21 trams ...
-
NewsAfDB finances Casablanca – Marrakech double-tracking
MOROCCO: The African Development Bank board approved a US$112·3m loan to finance double-tracking of the 142 km Settat – Marrakech section of the Casablanaca – Marrakech route on January 27. National railway ONCF is providing a further US$290m for the project, which is intended to increase capacity and reduce ...
-
NewsCP to refurbish Alfa Pendular trainsets
PORTUGAL: National operator CP unveiled the interior and exterior designs for what it termed the ‘next generation Alfa Pendular’ at launch event in Lisboa on January 27.The designs showcase the planned mid-life refurbishment of CP’s 10 Alfa Pendular tilting trains which are used on premium inter-city services on the Braga ...
-
NewsCBTC over LTE test successful
CHINA: Telecoms company ZTE announced on January 25 that it had completed a laboratory test of communication-based train control over LTE. Ansaldo STS supplied CBTC signalling and ZTE provided LTE equipment and devices for the test, which covered scenarios such as static condition, handover, failover, and load with static ...